


A Box Full of Memories

by Ravens_World



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Bobby Nash is Evan "Buck" Buckley's Parent, Family Feels, Gen, M/M, POV Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Pining, Pre-Relationship, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:07:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29462487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravens_World/pseuds/Ravens_World
Summary: Buck doesn't care about his birthday.Eddie is determined to change that.Ft. Buckley Siblings Love (and a certain baby box) , Pining Eddie, and fire fam feels.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 238
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	A Box Full of Memories

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me while I was watching 4x04 again (as one does) and Buck's face when he asked about his own baby box killed me, yet again. 
> 
> It somehow turned into Eddie and Maddie planning a birthday party for Buck and everyone just showering him with love. 
> 
> PS, I suck at giving gifts so it might show 😂
> 
> Posted before the episode in case anyone needs a fluff piece before the pain we're about to endure ✌
> 
> Happy Reading 🖤

"What do you want to do on your birthday?"

Buck nearly jumped a foot in the air then glared at the smirking Eddie, who had deliberately snuck up on him. "What?"

"Your birthday. It's in two days. What do you want to do."

Buck shrugged and picked up an apple, taking a bite. "Not big on birthdays."

Eddie stared at him. "You- this is coming from the guy who set up what was possibly the best birthday party ever for Christopher last year?"

Buck smiled shyly and avoided Eddie's eyes. "That's different."

"How?"

Buck rolled his eyes, and hoped Eddie would drop it. "Well, for one, he's eight."

"Oh, come on, that's not-"

"Eddie, I just don't celebratemy birthdays, okay? It's not that big of a deal. " He cut him off, and though he hadn't raised his voice, Buck's impatience had clearly translated into his words.

Before Eddie had the chance to respond, the alarm blared, and it was put on the back burner.  
.

"Hen, do you have a minute?"

She closed the ambulance doors and turned to him, a smile on her face. "For you, I have two."

Eddie smiled back and shook his head. "I asked Buck what he wanted to do for his birthday, since it's in two days? And he completely shut me down."

Hen sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Eddie. He's been like this from the start. His first year here? We didn't even know when his birthday was, until we asked the cap and we realized that we'd missed it. The second year, he just disappeared on us. Third year, well, you know how it was-"

Eddie did know. It had been after the tsunami, during the lawsuit and they hadn't exactly been on speaking terms. 

"Well, this year, we're gonna do something for him," he declared and ignored Hen's skeptical look.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Eddie."

He just waved off her concerns and went up to the break room, taking the stairs two at a time, hoping to catch Buck before he left.  
.

"Eddie! Hey, what a surprise!"

"Hey, Maddie." He leaned down and hugged her gently. "How are you?"

"Oh, just about ready to pop this little one out," she smiled. "Come on in," she ushered him inside, putting her hands on her belly as she lead the way into the living room. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Nah, I'm good. Why don't you sit, huh?"

"That seems to be everyone's favorite thing to say these days." She huffed as she sat down beside him. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but-"

"Why am I here?" He finished for her, and she nodded. "Buck's birthday is in two days, and I wanted to do something for him, but- I don't know, he seemed off when I talked to him about it."

Maddie sighed and rubbed her face. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to sag into the cushions. "Our parents never cared about birthdays after-"

"Daniel," Eddie finished for her quietly. He took her hand and squeezed it, and there was a grateful quality to her smile, and a hint of confusion, or maybe curiosity. 

"Yeah, and well, I guess when you spend most of your life barely celebrating birthdays, they stop mattering at some point?"

"So, even as a kid, he never-?"

"Well, I tried my best to make the day special, but I was out of the house when he was nine, and I couldn't always be there. Mom and dad, they-"

"Hey, you don't have to talk about it anymore. And I'm sorry I brought it up."

"It's okay," she reassured him, then seemed to visibly pull herself together. "I want to help. With what you're planning."

Eddie grinned at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

.

Keeping something from Buck turned out to be harder than he thought, because he'd caught himself trying to ask for his opinion on something or another three times during this shift alone. 

"Hey, Buck, what are you doing tomorrow?" He'd been aiming for casual, but must have missed the mark when Buck's eyes narrowed.

"I'm onto you," he pointed at him.

Eddie lifted his hands in surrender. "Just a question, man."

"Aha." Buck straightened up from where he was leaning against the truck and shook his head as he walked away.

"See you tomorrow, then?" Eddie called after him, and Buck just gave him a lazy salute without even turning around.

Eddie was actually glad that Buck was at least a little suspicious, and that he didn't seem that bothered by it, because it meant the small get-together they'd planned in his honor wouldn't feel like a total ambush. 

Eddie blew out a nervous breath and tried to convince himself it would all be okay.  
.

Buck didn't seem all that surprised when he saw them gathered in Chimney and Maddie's apartment, and he smiled widely and accepted hugs and kisses from everyone. Then Buck was in front of him, and there was an infuriating smirk on his face. 

"Told you I was onto you."

Eddie rolled his eyes and pulled him into a hug. He tried not to linger too long, to not hug him too tight, but it was hard when Buck was in his arms and holding him tightly, like he was something precious. "You're not mad?" Eddie checked, though he already knew the answer.

Buck shook his head. "I'm not. It's not a big deal for me, Eddie. It's just not something I'm used to, you know?"

"I get it."

Buck grinned. "There's-"

"Birthday boy!" Hen called out. "Come here," she beckoned him, and Buck bounded over to where she was standing with Karen and Nia. 

Hen must have wanted to show him something on her phone, and he watched Buck bend down to look. Seconds later, Buck threw his head back and laughed, and Eddie found himself smiling, too. Karen joined in, and when their laughter subsided, Buck turned his attention onto Nia. The little girl buried her face in her foster mother's neck, but Eddie could see she liked the attention. It only took a few seconds, but Buck managed to coax her out of her hiding spot, and then, he held out his hand to her and she shyly leaned forward in Karen's arms, a clear indication that she wanted to be carried.

The sight of Buck holding Nia, smiling at her softly and listening attentively as she babbled, shouldn't make his heart attempt to beat it's way out of his chest, shouldn't leave him breathless, but God help him, it did. 

"He's so good with her, right?" Maddie commented as she came to stand beside him, her hand stroking her bump as she watched Buck with a smiled that caused the corners of her eyes to crinkle. 

"He is," he answered distractedly.

Maddie laughed softly and patted his shoulder. His head swiveled and he caught her looki g at him knowingly. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I think it's time for the cake, huh?"

"Yeah."

The cake was a simple choclate cake, with about fifteen candles covering the surface. 

When they came out with the cake, Nia was still in Buck's arms, and the rest of the kids materialized ot of nowhere and gathered around him. 

"You guys wanna help me blow out the candles?" Buck asked, hyping up the kids, and smiled wildly when they all cheered. When Eddie looked around, everyone was watching Buck fondly, though he wondered if their hearts ached like his did when he saw Buck with his kid. 

To add to his torture, Buck moved Nia from the arm on Christopher's side to the one opposite and brought Christopher closer to his side. He made sure Denny and Harry were close too, and then the five of them blew the candles. Nia clapped enthusiastically when all the candles were blown out, and Buck bounced her up and down, to her immense delight. 

Buck was subjected to another round of hugs, and then it was time for gifts. 

"Happy birthday, kid. This is from me and Athena," Bobby told him as he handed him a big box, then retreated to put an arm around Athena's shoulder. They both watched him closely, and Eddie was surprised to see that his captain seemed a little nervous.

"You guys didn't have to," Buck protested, and his face was red. It was adorable how embarrassed yet happy he was. 

"We wanted to," Athena assured him. "Well? Open it!"

Buck did as he was told and his eyes lit up when the wrapping paper was removed. "Guys," he started, then trailed off. 

"We haven't gone on that camping trip we talked about, so I figured we could do that soon," Bobby told him.

Buck looked up at him, and there were tears in his eyes. "That was maybe a year ago," he told him, voice hoarse. "You remembered?"

Bobby smiled softly and squeezed his shoulder, looking down on him fondly. Buck smiled back. "Thank you." His eyes shifted to Athena. "Both of you."

"Just so you know, I won't be going on that camping trip, Buckaroo; this is as close as I get to a tent," Athena told him flatly, though there was a small smile on her lips.

He laughed. "Noted."

Hen and Karen had brought him a key chain with his name engraved on it, a travel mug that Hen explained changed color based on your mood and a bunch of socks that had terrible puns on them. Buck, of course, loved those.

Christopher, Harry and Denny had made him cards. And he thanked each one of them with a hug. 

Maddie nudged him, and he reluctuntly plucked his gift from the table and handed it over to Buck. Buck smiled up at him from his place on the couch and Eddie waited with baited breath for him to open it. 

"Eddie, this is-" he knew what he was going to say, so he just raised an eyebrow and Buck's mouth clicked shut. He looked down at the watch and smiled. "Thank you."

Eddie shrugged, a bit uncomfortable with everyone's eyes on them. "I know your watch has been acting up lately, and that with everything going on, you haven't had the time to replace it."

"Yeah," Buck whispered. "This is a great one, thank you-"

"You have to look at the back, Bucky!" Christopher interjected, and Buck looked at him in surprise. 

Eddie's face heated up and he wished his son hadn't announced it so loudly. 

Buck flipped the watch and he let out a breath like he'd been punched in the stomach. Then he smiled, soft and awed, as he stared at the simple words. "I love you guys, too," he said as he hugged Chris close and rested his chin on his head. His eyes locked with Eddie's, and there was something in his eyes that Eddie couldn't decipher. 

Christopher giggled when Buck tickled him, and Eddie blew out a breath he'd been holding. 

Hen, Karen and the kids were the first ones to leave, followed by Athena, Bobby and Harry.

Eddie had been about to follow their lead and leave when Maddie got up and cleared her throat nervously.

"My turn," Maddie said as she put one hand behind her back and the other on the arm of the couch and hauled herself up. She came from her room carrying a box, and all three men stood up, but Chimneywas the closest. He hurried to her side and took the box from her. Maddie huffed but let him. 

"You didn't think I wouldn't get you a gift, did you?" She told her brother as she came to sit on the side that wasn't occupied by Christopher, wringing her hands nervously. "I hope you'll like it." 

  
Buck took the box from Chimney and set it in his lap, and then he just stared at it. "Maddie," his voice was filled with so many emotions; love, awe, sadness and his face couldn't seem to settle on one. She urged him to open it with a nudge to his side, and he did. His hands, Eddie noticed, were shaking.

The box was a square one, and it was modern, but with an antique feel to it. When Eddie took a closer look, Buck's name was engraved elegantly on the wooden box. "Is this-"

"It's not perfect, but-" she shrugged with a soft smile. 

"It is, Maddie," he whispered, voice thick with tears, and she hugged him close, pressing his head into her shoulder. "Thank you so much."

He sat up, wiped away his tears and opened the box.

"Is this-" he broke out into a laugh.

Maddie smiled. "Yes, this is marshmallow."

He took out the small, palm sized stuffed rabbit and laughed. He showed it to Christopher. "This was mine when I was your age."

His son's eyes widened. "He looks just like Buzz."

Buzz had been Christopher's favorite stuffed animal growing up. Unfortunately, it hadn't survived the move from El Paso.

Buck turned to his sister. "Why do you even still have this?" 

"You told me to keep it with me all the time, and I did."

"My report cards?" Buck asked, disbelief coloring his words. He'd lost the fight against the tears, and they were now falling steadily down his cheeks. 

Maddie wiped away his tears. "I kept everything you sent me since I left home. Every birthday card, every Christmas card, every letter. I know it's not the same as getting it from them, but, Evan, this is your baby box!" She tried to sound cheerful, but she was crying too hard to accomplish it. "I love you."

Christopher slowly pulled away from Buck's side and came to stand beside Eddie. He hugged his son, never taking his eyes off the siblings. 

"I love you too, Maddie. So much." Buck closed the box, put it on the coffee table in front of him and then pulled his sister into a hug. "Thank you, you're the best."

Their parents had come and gone months ago, and since then, Eddie had worried about Buck, even after he'd assured him that he was fine, that he was over it.

It wasn't until now. Until this moment, that Eddie was sure that Buck was truly going to be okay.

"I picked out the box, you know," Chimney piped up, and though his voice was steady, he had tears in his eyes. 

They all laughed and Buck pulled away from Maddie to fix Chimney with a teasing look. He got up and advanced on him. "Aww, Chimney, did you want a hug, too?" Without giving him time to answer, Buck basically tackled the older man and hugged him tightly.

Chimney huffed and tried to push him away, but it was obvious it was just for show. 

After that, Maddie insisted she show them pictures of baby Buck and Eddie and Chimney gained teasing material to tide them over for a year. They were all polaroids, and Maddie explained she'd been obsessed with photography for most of her life, and the camera had been a gift from a friend of hers in the tenth grade. 

Eddie only realized it was late when he saw Christopher was slumped against Buck, fighting to keep his eyes open. "Man, I didn't know it was so late. We'll get out of your hair, huh?"

Maddie waved him off and stood up once he did. "You're always welcome here, Eddie."

"Thank you," he bent down and kissed her cheek. Then he turned to Chim and squeezed his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey, birthday boy," he nudged Buck, startling him into dropping the picture he'd been staring at for a while. Eddie bent to pick it up since Buck couldn't, and realized it was of a couple with Buck, who seemed maybe nine years old at the time. It was heartbreaking, the way he seemed to hold both their hands tightly, beaming at the camera, while they weren't even smiling. "Here," he told him quietly. 

Buck took it and started at it some more. "How messed up is it, that this is the only picture I have with them?"

It was pretty damn heartbreaking, and it made Eddie, not for the first time, want to go to Pennsylvania and give Buck and Maddie's parents a piece of his mind. "Hey," he told him sternly. "Chin up. You don't need them."

Buck cracked a smile at him. "You're right, I don't." 

"Buck, I didn't realize-" Maddie started but Buck cut her off.

"It's okay, Mads." He crumpled up the picture, and got up, taking Christopher into his arms, lifting him up easily. It was a practiced move and Eddie didn't know what to do with the feeling it drew up to the surface. 

"Here, let me take him," he offered, extending his hands.

Buck waved his hand dismissively. "I'll take him. I know your hurt you back yesterday on that last call."

Eddie's mouth hung open. "How did you know?" 

Buck just shrugged and lead the way. When he reached the car, Eddie unlocked it, then opened the backseat door. Buck leant down and put Christopher in his seat, then kissed his forehead sweetly. 

Eddie watched the whole time, wondering if this feeling would ever go away. Wondering if anybody else would compare to Buck. 

He reached forward and hugged him, and Buck came willingly. Buck's hugs were always the best, in Eddie's opinion. He seemed to hug with all his body, and he gave off this feeling of comfort, and saftey and home. 

Eddie loved him.

"Thanks for tonight."

Eddie pulled away. "Glad it went well," he told him with a smile."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

Eddie looked down at where Buck's hand rested against his elbow, and noticed he was wearing the watch he'd brought him. He didn't know why, but seeing that watch, knowing it had 'we love you- Christopher & Eddie' engraved on it, filled him with joy. Because at least, in some way, he'd been brave enough to tell Buck how he truly felt.

"Goodnight, Buck."

"Goodnight."

Eddie got in his truck, and extended his hand out the window and waved. Buck raised his hand in return, and stayed in his spot as Eddie drove away. 

Eddie watched him in the rearview mirror until he couldn't do it anymore.

Something told him Buck had been doing the same.


End file.
